Neon Genesis Evangelion: The Battle of Souls
by Shodan Productions
Summary: Episode Two: The City of Blood - After Midori's crushing loss, Hideki is sent out to combat the Daemon, but Demogorgon is a formidable force. Can he defeat the Third Daemon?
1. Disclaimer

**NEON GENESIS EVANGELION:** The Battle Of Souls  
by **Shodan Productions** [Project Number 02]

**DISCLAIMER:**  
Neon Genesis Evangelion is owned by Anno Hideaki, GAINAX, and various other companies, none of them being us. Neon Genesis Evangelion: The Battle of Souls is an alternate universe fan fiction based on Neon Genesis Evangelion. We don't own Evangelion in any way, shape, or form, but the characters in Battle of Souls are the creations of Shodan Productions. They we do own. The Battle of Souls is non-profit, as is Shodan Productions, so don't sue us.

**WARNING:**  
Some of the themes that may develop in The Battle of Souls may be unsuitable for some younger readers. We warn you all now that the rating of the content will probably change chapter by chapter, so if you think you are too young, don't read this. We don't want your parents blaming us for anything.

**Shodan Productions** is a non-profit fan fiction / original fiction writers group. Founded on the 6th of September by Quarigon Le'th and Macavity, their present number stands at three, with Ithelian being the third member. All three members are avid writers who are all madly in love with anime, including Neon Genesis Evangelion. Hopefully what we have produced here won't disgrace Evangelion's name.

// Shodan Productions //


	2. Episode One: Cold Arrival

**Neon Genesis Evangelion: **The Battle of Souls  
by **Shodan Productions** [Project Number 02]   


Hideki looked despairingly out of the classroom window. It was a bleak day; grey clouds hung in the sky, releasing rain upon the glistening city of Tokyo-3. The teacher, Mr Kayzko, droned on about the changes in the eco-system since the event known as Second Impact, an event which the UN had covered up, an international secret. But Hideki knew most of the events quite well.   
_"Hideki Miyazaki, the Third Child, named by the Repertores Institute."   
_ He was a boy of fourteen, with dyed orange hair, and piercing green eyes. His shirt was barely creased, unlike his untidy friends at either side of him. He was fairly quiet, at least at school. One of the best students in the year, he had devoted himself to his studies, between work.   
_Whoa… is that a robot? A creature?   
__"Third, that is your Evangelion. Evangelion Unit 02, the actual finished model."   
_ Work. The job of saving Humanity from the creatures of myth: angels, daemons, and devils. Adam, the First Angel, the Angel of Destruction, was the real reason behind the event called Second Impact. The researchers on the Toyomura Expedition had attempted something terrible with Adam, and the result was Second Impact. Antarctica melted, the polar ice cap turning into water, causing the sea level to rise by forty feet, but creating a tidal wave much larger. Half of the world's population were killed on that tragic day. The world was reformed, forever. But Humanity picked themselves out from the ashes.   
All the faces around him were from the first generation after 2I. They had all been fortunate enough to avoid witnessing the greatest event that had ever affected Humanity. Instead, they grew up in a new world, where rhetorically Humanity would work as a whole. But the minds of men are easily corrupted.   
He glanced away from the teacher for a moment to look at another person in the class.   
_"Oh, Midori's the CHB's daughter. She's your other flatmate."_   
Midori Suzuki, Second Child, Designated Pilot of Evangelion Unit 01. Her black hair ran down to her waist. Her face conveyed exactly how bored and aggravated she was. Although fairly attractive, and definitely popular, she was vicious. She _had_ had a bad childhood, not helped by the fact that her father, Commander Suzuki, left her in the hands of Rayan Ladine, their Guardian, but she didn't seem to attempt to like Hideki. To her 'girlfriends' she was kind, to a degree, and likable, but at the flat…   
"Mister Miyazaki, is there a problem?" came Mr Kayzko's voice. Hideki's head snapped round before Midori could turn. He didn't want to give her another reason to insult him.   
"Er, no sir. No problem."   
"Good," Mr Kayzko concluded, before turning to the subject of the eco-system that no-one was listening to. Hideki briefly felt the gaze of Katie-Liu's eyes on the back of his head. She was the class rep, and a friend of Midori's.   
"Looking at Midori again?" one of his friends, Isamu, teased. Hideki's attention turned to his friend on his right.   
"I was thinking," Hideki replied quietly.   
"Sure…" came a voice from his left. He turned to see Zenko's grin.   
"Believe what you want. You don't have to live with her…"   
"Unfortunately…" Isamu sighed.   
There was a light tapping on the door of the classroom, and one of the various secretaries half-entered the room. Mr Kayzko walked up to her, and listened to what she had to say. His head turned to Midori, and then to Hideki, as he listened.   
"Miss Suzuki, Mister Miyazaki, there is a message for you," and with a quick motion of his arm, he beckoned Hideki and Midori to go with the secretary. 

"Who do you think it is?" Hideki asked, his mind curious. He was a good couple of steps behind Midori, who was a good couple of steps behind the secretary.   
"Ayame, probably wondering where Rayan is," she grinned, although the grin was replaced by a scowl as she looked at Hideki, her brain only then registering the fact she had talked to him. Hideki decided to keep quiet after that. 

They were shown into a small office, probably one of the secretaries' offices, and then the door was closed behind them. Both of them went for the phone. A challenge was silently made between them, as they tried to claw the phone away from the other.   
"Midori, Hideki?" Rayan's voice asked.   
"Yes?" they replied through gritted teeth, both attempting to wrestle control over the phone.   
"A car is coming to pick you two up. We've detected the Third Daemon."   
The wrestling stopped, and instead they both pressed themselves towards the phone, face-to-face.   
"The Third Daemon?" Midori asked, her voice barely a whisper.   
"Yes. Look, I'm on the move getting the First Child, so you'll have to do without me. You'll have to talk to," then in a moodier tone, "Major Seizon."   
"Seizon?" Hideki said confused.   
"The Strat Op," Midori answered her flatmate's question.   
"Yes, sadly you'll be left with him. I'll be there as soon as I can." There was a click as Rayan hung up. Both children looked at each other, before the realization of the proximity of their faces hit them. Midori stepped away, her face red and fuming.   
"Don't get any funny ideas!" She warned, finger pointing accusingly at him.   
"I wasn't-" Hideki fumbled.   
"Argh, men!" She fumed, and stormed out the small office. Hideki placed down the receiver, and followed Midori outside. 

Midori Suzuki, Second Child, Designated Pilot of Evangelion Unit 01. More experienced then Hideki, she proclaimed herself "the best." And she was. Although she was the pilot of Eva 01, the test type model, instead of Hideki's production model, 02, she had the skills and the experience to beat Hideki's attempts to match her. While Hideki had been at REPC for only a few months, she had been there for over half her life, so she knew a lot more then the Third Child.   
She held her skirt down as the wind buffeted against her. She stood next to the curb, waiting for her ride. Rain begun to soak her clothes, and she cast a backward glance at the idiot Hideki to check that he wouldn't be able to see anything if her white top got too wet. The idiot made a start towards her, and she was going to say something except she heard the car arriving too.   
It was a black hatchback, with tinted windows, and 'REPC 21' on the roof in bold white letters. The car pulled up near the curb, but before it had completely stopped, the passenger, a man in a black suit wearing black sunglasses, had got out and held the back door open for the children. Midori jumped in first, shimming her way to the far side. Hideki stepped in, and quickly fastened his seatbelt. Midori followed suit, hoping that the driver was more cautious then Rayan. 

Rayan was being less careful then usual. His car sped through Tokyo-3 at about 140 miles per hour, his face filled with determination. His black hair was cut short, years of the military still fresh in his head. His brown eyes constantly scanned the area all around him. _How long do I have… where the hell is the Daemon?_ Other thoughts raced through his mind, but those were the most important.   
He nearly missed his turnoff, and the car skidding through three lanes on the road. Thankfully for him, the city had been quickly evacuated during the time he was on the phone to Midori and Hideki, so there was no traffic for him to collide into. It was slightly harder navigating the roads with most of the skyscrapers missing, but his GPS was there to sort that problem out.   
"Straight ahead for one mile," the machine chirped. Rayan looked about for the Daemon now that he knew he had a few seconds of straight road. His eyes fell upon a white and teal two-headed giant. Thankfully it wasn't heading this way. It wasn't even in the city.   
_At least something is going right_ he thought, as his car crashed right through the gates of the government airport. 

NEON GENESIS EVANGELION: **The Battle of Souls   
****EPISODE ONE: **Cold Arrival 

Commander Reichou Suzuki stood between the three technicians that worked around him. He stared at the screen with feigned interest. The angel was humanoid in that it had two legs and two arms, but then it ended. Its two heads that were at the top of its body held rows of sharp teeth and nothing more. They were merely mouths. At the end of its arms were four claws, arranged so it could grab onto something with a claw at each side. Its legs had no visible knees, although the Commander guessed that it could bend them anywhere along its length. Soon the UN's forces would attack the Daemon without success, and they would then realize that REPC was there for a reason, after many lives had been lost of course. But that was the way things were, and there was no point in arguing.   
Reichou was a tall man at five foot eleven, with short black hair and brooding brown eyes. He wore a simple black suit with a white shirt underneath. His ID card was clipped to the suit pocket. He may have fitted in a dinner party well, but with the card and his gruff demeanor, he looked more the part of a boss. And that was what he was.   
"Commander," the female tech said quietly, "The UN forces are in place."   
"Understood," he replied. He pushed up his glasses, and looked at the screen.   
"The Third Daemon," a male voice stated from behind him.   
"Yes." Reichou replied.   
"Took some time," the voice said again, before its owner fell into place beside the Commander. Sub-Commander Toyomura was younger then Reichou by two years. He wore a grey suit over a black shirt, similar in design to the Commander, but his stance was far more casual. His hair was very short, no more then a few millimeters long, and his blue eyes surveyed the screen with more interest then his friend. "How long until the Children arrive?"   
"A few minutes at the most, Section Two reports," he ended with a grunt that showed his assurance in Section Two.   
"Where is Captain Ladine?"   
"On the way to get the First Child."   
"I see."   
The Commander turned to look at his friend. "Is he staying with Captain Ladine or-?"   
"Ladine," he cut in, "It is probably for the best they all live together. Well, except for Ladine, but he is there for their security."   
"One trusts it is only that." The Commander turned back to the screen to see the beginning of the UN's assault. He grunted with dissatisfaction. 

"Whoa!" Hideki half-yelled as the air around him resonated with the sounds of cannon fire. "Is that-?"   
"C'mon!" Midori yelled, grabbing Hideki by the arm and yanking him towards the lift. He stumbled after her into the small life. She hastily pressed a button, and the door snapped shut behind Hideki, who slammed into the back of the lift.   
"Look where you are going!" Midori screamed, aggravation getting the best of her.   
"You were the one-"   
"Argh! Honestly!" She glared at Hideki in fury. He slowly moved away from her, attempting without success to avoid her gaze.   
_It's going to be one of those days_ Hideki thought with a sigh. 

The UN generals slammed their fists on the table.   
"Why isn't it working!?"   
"How many shells have we fired at the thing? How many missiles?!"   
"Damn! That thing is tough!"   
"Fools," an obese man said to the Commander. A smirk appeared on the man's large face. His light blue eyes spoke lengths about his thoughts on the UN's tactics. He brushed a hand through his light brown hair, although some premature streaks of grey were mixed in. "I wonder how much this is all going to cost the UN?" He asked rhetorically.   
The Commander smirked as he watched the man head off into a lift.   
"I see Tsuchi is in a good mood," Reichou said, sarcasm heavy in his voice.   
"He always is," The Sub Commander replied with the same level of sarcasm. 

The ordeal of the lift ended, thankfully, and Midori strode out. Hideki waited a few seconds, composing himself, before following at a slower rate. Midori promptly entered the female changing rooms, and Hideki entered the door opposite into the male changing rooms. Inside he removed his shirt (unbuttoning it instead of over his head) and his pants, before opening his locker with his plugsuit in it. It glistened crimson, and he had only worn it a few times before. 

Midori, on the other hand, put on her suit with the same ease she had dozens of times before. She looked at herself in the mirror, looking superior in her dark green suit. _Seizon will easily choose me_ she thought. She looked gloomily at the 'hairclips' she held in her hand. _Whoever thought up the design for these should be shot_. 

Hideki left the changing rooms at the same time as Midori. They glanced at each other, before walking towards the briefing room. Midori overtook Hideki in this time, which Hideki muttered at.   
"What's the rush? Death won't come any quicker." 

"Yadama, right?" Rayan asked in his american drawl.   
"Yes," the boy replied. He had straight brown hair, brown eyes, and tanned skin. He gave Rayan a pencil thin smile.   
"Get in, we've got trouble." He thumbed at the back door of the car. Yadama took his time to look at the Daemon.  
"Ah yes, trouble," he murmured, before getting in.   
"Buckle up!" Rayan shouted, as his foot slammed down hard on the accelerator. The car launched out of the airport grounds with much the same speed, but with greater care, then last time. Yadama was precious cargo. 

One of the generals lifted up a red phone. As if Commander Suzuki's ears were set on the click of the phone being lifted up, he turned on the spot.   
"The sole purpose of REPC is to stop these monsters. Are you going to waste away more money and lives for a futile attempt against it?"   
"Commander Suzuki," the man on the phone replied, "You are not in charge here."   
"No," he sighed, "but I don't care too much for a N^2 mine being dropped near the city. Or for the fact that I am standing here bone-idle when we are ready to deploy." The general talked quietly into the phone, as so Suzuki couldn't hear. Instead he watched the expressions on the general's face: angry, sensible, shocked, and annoyed. Finally he put the phone down.   
"Okay, Suzuki, you've got your shot." The general growled.   
"Thank you," he said, and turned to the female tech, "Tell Seizon to hurry."   
"Yes sir," she replied. 

"Demogorgon, the Third Daemon. As you can see from these pictures, here, here, and here," Seizon said, pointing at the different pictures on the display, "conventional weapons have no effect. We are going to deploy Evangelion Unit 01 first, with 02 as a backup in case Unit 01 fails."   
"I don't fail," Midori interrupted.   
"In case Unit 01 fails," Seizon continued, "If that happens, then Unit 02 will be deployed. Understood?"   
"Yes," Midori and Hideki said in chorus.   
"Good. Now get ready for deployment," Seizon ended, and he left the room before the Children moved.   
"You aren't getting a chance," Midori warned Hideki.   
"Understood," Hideki lied.   
Midori got out of the chair, and walked into the doorway. She looked back with a frown on her face. "Are you coming or not, idiot?" She stormed down the corridor before a response could come. She checked that her nerve connectors were placed on her head properly, and that her plugsuit was on correctly. Then she glanced once down at her figure. _No wonder all the boys like me_ she smiled at herself, and then frowned. _Except for Hideki, but then he is just an idiot_. 

As Rayan's car stopped on the express car lift, the large doors closed shut behind him. In the mirror he could see the red earth with the letters 'REPC' above it, and the quote "The Graveyard of Humanity is in the Garden of Eden." He could also see Yadama's face. The chinese boy sat staring out of the back window, looking blankly into space.   
_The Chinese... how I used to hate them after Second Impact_. His expression didn't change, but he had to suppress a buried anger within him. The anger was nearly nothing, but it came from his heart.   
"I've always wondered," Yadama started, "why the symbol of REPC was a red earth."   
The anger fizzled away. "I have to say the thought hadn't crossed my mind," Rayan replied.   
"What about the blood of the victims of Second Impact?" Yadama suggested, still staring into space. The car shook slightly at the car lift activated, and they begun to descend into the 'belly of the beast', REPC Headquarters.   
"The blood of the victims..." Rayan mused, "Possible." _It isn't like your kind helped. _

Inside another type of beast, Midori gently rubbed her temples.   
"Something wrong?" Hideki asked over the comm.   
"It's nothing," she replied softly. She looked at his concerned face from within his own entry plug. "I said it's nothing!" she growled. Hideki gave a nonchalant shrug, before his image disappeared. _One less problem_ Midori seethed.   
"Everything okay?"   
She was going to shout back but then her mind registered it was a different voice. _How did I mistake Seizon for Hideki?_ "Fine."   
"Understood. Begin the launch sequence!" Even from this distance, Midori could see the techs rushing to start everything. _So... I'm the one to get to grip with a daemon first. Excellent!_

"Worried?"   
"Not at all, the daemon will be defeated. There is no other option."   
"I meant about Midori."   
A grin appeared. "There is too much of her mother about her. There is no cause for worry." 

All around Evangelion Unit 01, things begun happening.  
"Disengage primary lock bolts!" There was barely a sound as the Evangelion was released.  
"Disengage confirmed. Disengaging the umbilical bridge." The platform that ran in front of the Evangelion's head and over its shoulder removed away as servos whirled.   
"Disengage secondary lock bolts! Disengage primary restraints. Disengage secondary restraints." The walls that had held Evangelion Unit 01's arms in place split apart, walkways halving themselves.   
"Release safety locks numbers one through fifteen." The walls continued to slide away, giving the Evangelion a large berth.   
"Internal batteries fully charged. External battery outlet, normal."   
"Roger," Ayame's voice said over the announcement system, "Move Eva Unit 01 to the ejector pad."   
The Evangelion stood still, but the platform it was held to move up and backwards. Slowly the Evangelion came into a large room, filled with similar pads. Behind it, the 'catapult' system locked it in.   
"Launch path is clear. All systems green." Ayame stated.  
"Evangelion is ready for launch," the scientist, Dr. Yunokawa, confirmed.   
"Understood," Seizon looked at Ladine with a growl. _Just because he wants my position._ "Launch!"   
The last restraints that held the Evangelion down snapped open, and the Evangelion was propelled up by the catapult launch system. Inside the entry plug, Midori grimaced as the Gs pushed against her, caused by the sudden acceleration. Far above her, large doors opened in the middle of a road. Two vertical supports shot out just before the Evangelion broke through ground level. Rigidly it stood there, before the final safety lock released the Evangelion's arms back to its pilot's control. It lurched forward before the pilot regained control. 

Evangelion Unit 01 stood in the city of Tokyo-3. A mere two miles away, Demogorgon moved with little haste towards the dark green horned weapon. A grin crossed both of Demogorgon's faces, and its pace increased marginally.   
Inside the entry plug of Unit 01, Midori shuddered slightly. "It's time." 

"I'll go if you don't mind."   
"It's okay. Go if you want."   
"Thanks."   
"Don't mention it, it's just that I'm not that way inclined." 

Rayan and Yadama walked at a brisk pace along the walkways and corridors of REPC. Rayan's eyes continually searched the area, looking for anyone that may harm the First Child. On the contrary, Yadama looked straight ahead, his gaze never once darting to the left or right.   
Yadama jumped as Rayan laid a hand on his shoulder. "In here." The lift looked no different from any other, but Rayan knew otherwise. Rayan pressed the highest button on the lift, and then quickly hit a second button as another body attempted to get in the lift. The doors re-opened, and the Sub Commander stepped in.   
"Sorry Ladine. Top Floor," He smiled, although Rayan was sure the smile was for someone else.   
"Sir," Rayan replied. He took a professional stance as the Sub Commander looked down at Yadama. The boy's lips curved slightly at the corner.   
"How are you doing?" The Sub Commander asked.   
"Fine," Yadama replied, "The flight was pleasant enough."   
"I hope it was." The Sub Commander's eyes had more warmth then normal, and the boy now acted more casual. _Makes sense_ Rayan thought.   
_"Yadama Toyomura, The First Child. Strange how he's the Sub Commander's son, don't you think?"_

"Sending up a rifle."   
A large metal tower shot up from the ground to the right of Eva 01, and one side folded open. A massive machine gun was revealed from the interior. Without looking, Midori snatched the rifle, and brought it into a firing position. She targeted the two-headed beast that was straying towards him, focusing the crosshair on the creature's chest.   
"Let it close a bit first, mind."   
"Understood." Midori's eyes narrowed a millimeter as she took aim at Demogorgon. I'm going to rip your ugly face off your body. 

"The pilot's sync ratio has increased slightly," Ayame reported.   
"How much?" Seizon inquired.   
"Only zero-point-four percent."   
"It's something at least," he replied, as his eyes once again became fixated on the screen.   
So to were the Commander's eyes, as he focused on Evangelion Unit 01.   
"I hope the anger won't consume her," he muttered. 

_The rain poured. The night's sky was illuminated by streaks of white, fork lightning shooting across the heavens.  
_ _The house door swayed in the breeze, and a girl of four looked out from the doorway. The lightning showed the girl what she didn't want to see.  
_ _Crumpled on the muddy path a woman lay. The puddle around her was reddish-brown; blood and dirt mixed together. The murder weapon, a silver pistol, had been dropped beside her. The clip inside was two bullets short, but only one was in the woman's body.  
_ _The little girl had crept out into the downpour, holding up her skirt so it didn't get dirty.  
_ _But the skirt dropped when the girl saw the woman's face.  
_ _"Mommy?"_

The Evangelion stood, rifle poised, facing the Third Daemon. It continued to move at a moderate pace, apparently seeming in no mood to rush combat. Seizon knew it was a mind game. Waiting was a soldier's worst enemy, far worse then the opposing armies that loomed nearby. Midori sat in the entry plug, keeping the crosshair centered on the Daemon.   
"A few more steps... just a few more steps," she half-chanted. Her breathing had slowed. This was what she lived for. This is why she lived.   
"Get ready," Seizon warned, "Now!"   
The rifle spat out death as Midori squeezed hard on the trigger. Impacts were made on the Daemon's chest, tiny holes opening up inconsiderable wounds. A dark liquid of an indiscernible hue trickled from the wounds. Smoke begun to form around Demogorgon, so Midori released her grip on the trigger. Her breaths were faster now.   
The smoke drifted away, and Demogorgon stood, no wounds on its body. Its blood faded away like mist. The grins on its faces grew larger.   
"What the-?"   
"It's a Daemon. You'll have to close in," Seizon ordered.   
"Close... in?"   
"Yes!"   
"Close in," she told herself. She released her grip from the rifle, which slammed into the ground, clattering a few times. Evangelion Unit 01 leaned forward, until its hands lay flat on the ground. Head raised, it looked like a sprinter about to start a race. Demogorgon just looked, its grins filled with razor-sharp teeth.   
"Time to die!" she yelled. She forced the Evangelion forward and it bounded towards the white and teal daemon. One leg pushed it off the ground, and it flew horizontally at Demogorgon, knees bent in under its body. Faster then it looked like it could move, Demogorgon leaned forward, its body parallel with the ground. The dark green Evangelion swooped over it, and landed a quarter mile behind the beast. Demogorgon took the opportunity to attack from the rear, its head biting into either side of Eva 01's waist. 

A girl's scream reverberated around a cylindrical tube inside a crimson construct. The only resident leaned forward, looking closer at the display he saw through the external REPC cameras.   
"Dear God..." Hideki said shocked. 

The daemon bit harder, and the scream got louder. Midori held her sides, tears mixing with the LCL that filled the entry plugs, in spite of the fact it wasn't her own sides.   
Finally the daemon released its lock on the Eva, but its right foot kicked the Eva's back, sending it tumbling forward. Eva 01 ended up on its back, as the pilot continued to cry in pain.   
"Get up! Get up!" shouted Seizon, but Midori could only trembled.   
The Eva's hand moved slightly, and it knocked into a house, causing the windows to shatter. Demogorgon looked down at its prey, and smiled this time, but only time enough as it jumped on the Evangelion again, biting hard into its upper leg and knee.   
Midori screamed, grasping the new pain on her body. The Evangelion curled up like the pilot inside it. Demogorgon growled, let go of its defeated prey, and begun its slow walk towards the point directly above REPC HQ in the Geofront. 

"Get her out of there!" Rayan shouted as he finally got to Central Dogma.   
"If she-" Seizon started.   
"Look at her! Get her out!" he ran up to the techs, positioning himself between Seizon and his sub-ordinates. Rayan rested his hands on the female tech.   
"Ayame, get her out of there." 

The ground near the fallen Evangelion opened up, revealing an escape route.   
"Second! Second, do you hear me!?"   
"Rayan?" a trembling voice responded.   
"Yes. Next to you is a lift. Get the Eva over it, understood."   
"Yes..." she moaned. With a struggle, the Evangelion half-crawled, half-stumbled to the escape route. At soon as it was on, the lift descended, and the blast doors closed behind it. 

But the daemon continued, without resistance, towards the Geofront. 


	3. Episode Two: The City of Blood

**Neon Genesis Evangelion: **The Battle of Souls  
by **Shodan Productions** [Project Number 02]  


The blast doors closed shut behind Evangelion Unit 01 as it made the descent towards REPC HQ. Midori Suzuki continued to cradle her side and legs inside the Evangelion's entry plug. The pain was subsiding slowly, but it seemed to her to be taking an eternity. Her tears had made a visible form inside the entry plug; it reflected light like oil. Her mouth was opened slightly, and she sobbed. But regardless of the pain, one thought lingered in her head: _Failure_.

Hideki Miyazaki stirred inside his own entry plug, nervousness making him shiver slightly.  
"I'm I going to be deployed now?" Hideki asked, his voice quivering.  
"No," Rayan's voice came through forcefully. Hideki heard a cough, Seizon he was sure, through the audio link.  
"No," Seizon assured coolly, "Tactically unsound. We'll analyze the data that Evangelion 01 recorded before you are deployed."  
"Er, how is Eva One?" Hideki wondered.  
"Well, the damage prim-"  
"Second'll be okay," Rayan interjected.  
"Thanks," Hideki replied, before he rested back in his seat.  
  
Demogorgon, The Third Daemon, pondered its current situation. It felt its goal far below itself, below Tokyo-3, in the Geofront. The Evangelion hadn't been much of a problem; its teeth had torn through the beast's armor like piecemeal. The task of getting to the Geofront on the other hand was proving far more difficult. It stood in the middle of Tokyo-3, looking round, waiting for its next challenge.  
  
"It's just standing there," Ayame said incredulously, "Why is it just standing there?"  
"Conserving energy no doubt," Major Tsuchi Seizon replied. He looked up to where Commander Suzuki sat, arms crossed on the desk in front of him. A slight nod from him was the signal Seizon had been waiting for. "I'm going to look over the readings. Hold the fort Evans"  
Ayame replied with a brief nod, and Seizon walked away to find Dr Yunokawa.  
Rayan stood over Ayame's chair, hands on the backrest. Ayame looked up, past the vertical, into Rayan's dark eyes. Her own violet eyes shone with criminal intent as her currently red hair fell back behind her neck.  
"Does he know what he's doing?" she asked gently.  
"He too-" Rayan cut himself off, remembering where he was, who he was meant to be, "Yes," he replied harshly between gritted teeth.  
"You don't sound-" she started, but he laid his hands on her shoulders.  
"Not now _Lieutenant_." He emphasized the last word for a reason. This was work, not at home. Not alone, together.  
"Yes sir." She looked back down at her console with a silent sigh.  
  
NEON GENESIS EVANGELION: **The Battle of Souls**  
**EPISODE TWO:** The City of Blood / Stained Hands  
  
A medical trolley trundled along the lengthy corridors of the REPC medical facility. Lights seemed to float over Midori's head as she was rushed along countless hallways. Her plugsuit glistened with yellowy-orange LCL. She had been pulled out of her entry plug as quickly as possible, and regardless of her adamant resistance, Rayan had insisted that she was to be taken to the infirmary.  
_At least he didn't insist to strip me of my plugsuit back then_. A shiver ran down her spine, not caused by the cold liquid that stuck to her, but on the thought that Rayan could of ordered that. _Men _she thought bitterly.  
A sign overhead read 'Cranial Nerve 02'. Another shiver ran through her. _Who knows how much damage that thing _could _have one if it had had the chance_.  
  
"Evangelion Unit 00?" Yadama Toyomura, First Child, asked. His father walked alongside him. He was unsure, but he felt they were nearing the cages.  
"Arriving in a few days," Sub Commander Keiji Toyomura replied.  
"What happened?"  
"With... oh, right. I don't know," Keiji shrugged, "Maybe your arrival sparked something."  
"Ah, I see."  
"Don't worry, Midori shouldn't fail."  
"Midori?" Yadama asked curiously.  
"The Second Child, Pilot of Evangelion 02," Keiji replied with a frown, "You don't know?"  
"No. Details were left out for some reason."  
"Well, no worries. Rayan will fill you in."  
"Rayan? That man who picked me up?"  
"Yes, Captain Rayan Ladine."  
"I don't like him."  
"Most of us don't," Keiji grinned, "but he's useful."  
"I'm sure," Yadama mused.  
  
"It's far superior to what I suspected," Dr Yunokawa awed. His octagonal glasses had slipped halfway down his wrinkled nose, so he pushed them back up. He was in his late fifties, which no hair left on his head, and his gray eyes looked like black pits compared to his pale face. "The rifle has no effect whatsoever."  
"Tell me something useful Doctor," Seizon sighed, "Reiterating isn't going to help here."  
"Well, it doesn't appear to have an AT Field,"  
"Absolute Terror Field... then he could engage with the progressive knife?"  
"Possibly, but the point is that it doesn't _appear_ to have an AT Field, not that is doesn't have one. And it's uncannily fast. You need a pilot with a high sync ratio."  
"Midori is-"  
"Yes, my point," Yunokawa chided, "And the Third Child isn't as high. In fact, he's disappointing low."  
"As I said, reiterating isn't going to help."  
"Sadly, I need more data, and with only one more Evangelion-"  
"I'll figure something out," Seizon stated, before removing himself from the Doctor's lab.  
"Foolish child," Yunokawa sighed. He scratched his head, removing a tiny itch. "Those poor children."  
  
Midori lay in an empty room. Pale light lit the room from the light strips on the roof. Her attire had changed. She now was robed in a simple white hospital gown. _This is all too much_ she thought. She started to move, but a twinge of pain shot up her right hand side. She reluctantly lied back again.  
She refused to let herself sleep. _Sleep is for the lazy, especially at midday_. She didn't know the time, but she was fairly accurate. She craned her neck and looked around the room. There was a plain metal chair, and a bedside cabinet with a buzzer that hung over it. The window had white curtains tied back at each end, and the white blinds were closed. The blast shuttered was closed too, which explained why no light entered the room from that source.  
Her eyes returned to the light strips on the roof as she began to think over the battle. _What did I do wrong?  
  
Hideki sat in a chilled silence inside the entry plug. No-one had talked to him for over fifteen minutes, which made him feel unimportant, and with the daemon overhead, he felt scared. _Unimportant and scared... not a good combination_. He looked down at himself, at the crimson plugsuit he wore. _Like blood_. It hadn't previously occurred to him before that Evangelion Unit 02 was the finished production model, built for battle, and it was the color of blood.  
A flash of pain struck him, red flashed in his eyes. He grabbed his head urgently, but it was over in an instant. Even the pain had disappeared, but the thought lingered. _It was so sore... _He sighed. Things weren't going his way today.  
  
"Report Seizon," Reichou said in an icy tone of voice.  
"We have no more information then we did before," Tsuchi replied.  
"And what is the condition of the Second Child?"  
__Why can't you call her by her name? She is _your daughter after all_. "She will be able to operate in a day or two."  
"And the Third Child?"  
__Hideki Seizon thought bitterly. "Standing by in Evangelion Unit 02."  
"And what is your suggested course of action."  
"Without more information, we can't assess a weak point in the Daemon. Engage Evangelion Unit 02 in a recon role."  
"Understood." Reichou's glare returned to the main screen, and Seizon dismissed himself.  
  
"Hideki." After the long silence Seizon's voice commanded his attention.  
"Yes sir?" Hideki replied meekly.  
"You are to engage the daemon in a reconnaissance role only. Understood?"  
"Yes sir," he replied, his voice shaky. _

Safety checks were run through for Eva 02 as they had for Eva 01. The Evangelion moved backwards and up as the platform it stood on made its way to for the catapult launch system. The restraints that held the Evangelion were released, and Hideki felt the Gs push down on him as his crimson Evangelion shot upwards.  
  
Demogorgon's attention turned away from its current problem to a new one it sensed. It spun slowly on one heel, and rotated around to face the new threat. Its two heads grinned, revealing bloody teeth, parts of Eva 01 stuck between its razor sharp teeth. It flexed the claw-like fingers on each arm eagerly.  
  
Evangelion Unit 02 wheeled round as it exited the lift. It quickly reached for its shoulder that opened up to reveal a large knife. The Evangelion removed the prog knife and then held it firmly in its right hand as the shoulder closed.  
"Recon only," Seizon reminded.  
"It's a just-in-case measure," Hideki replied. He looked out at Demogorgon, and shuddered in fear. With two heads with grinning maws of death, and teal with white skin, it was some weird parody of a nightmare. But those teeth... _If it can get Midori so badly_... His jaw clamped shut, and he carefully backed away from the daemon as it approached. _How am I supposed to get any data it it's just going to follow me?_  
  
The door opened, and Midori saw the form of Rayan enter the room. He silently took the sole chair in the room, and positioned it near to Midori's bedside. Only then did he decide to speak.  
"How are you?"  
"Been better." Midori begun laughing softly, but even that brought some agony, and she stopped quickly wincing.  
"I'll make sure you get your peace in the apartment. I'll keep the boys on a tight leash."  
"Thanks..." She didn't like to thank people, especially not Rayan, but he _was_ being helpful.  
"Anything I can get you?"  
"The head of that bastard," she growled. No name had to be traded between them; Rayan knew she meant Demogorgon. A smile formed on his face as he got up.  
"Hideki's taking care of that."  
"Hideki..." she mused. _Always trying to upstage me... I guess we all just have to do our best, but I should be better then that idiot!_ The door closed behind Rayan. She didn't even realize he had gone until the door had shut.  
A thought stirred in her head that had taken its time to immerge. "Boys?"  
  
The strange pursuit continued. The daemon walked forward at the same speed Hideki half-stumbled backwards.  
"This is pointless," Hideki growled to himself.  
"Just-" Seizon started, but something diverted their attention. The daemon suddenly began to sprint at Hideki. Hideki began to turn to run, but the daemon moved at a lightning speed, and rammed into the Evangelion's side. It toppled over, and one of the daemon's mouths bit into the same side. Hideki cried out in pain, but he was concentrating enough to stab the daemon in the leg with the prog knife. An inhuman howl bellowed out of the second head, before it bit the hand that held the knife. He released his grip on the knife as pain overtook his nerves. He tried to pull the hand free, but Demogorgon held on too tight.  
Next he heard a crunch, and he pulled his arm free. Then agony spread like wildfire, ravaging up his arm, across his body, from his head to his feet. In the daemon's maw was Eva 02's right hand, separated from its arm.  
  
"Jesus Christ!" another tech, Ieyasu, cursed. Hideki's cry of pain resonated eerily around Terminal Dogma.  
"My God..." Ayame stared at the screen with disbelief.  
In his 'ivory tower', Reichou Suzuki didn't even blink.  
  
With its left hand, Hideki willed the Evangelion to grab its foe. With its hand gripped on the head that was pinning the Evangelion down, the one sending pain through his side, he squeezed. The fingers ruptured the surface, and begun to bore into where a human would have a brain, but all the daemon appeared to have was muscle. A screech came from both months now as the one previous on the Eva's side wheeled back, bleeding. Hideki took the break in combat to get on his feet, but one of the daemon's claw-hand grabbed his Eva's head, lifting the construct off of the ground. The second claw-hand started to pound the Eva's stomach, Hideki's stomach. He lurched in pain.  
Red flashes came to Hideki's mind. _Pain, but not pain. Emotions.  
_**ANGER  
HATRED  
SUFFERING  
DESTRUCTION  
DEATH  
** Hideki drifted on the edge between conscious and unconscious. He wavered for only a moment.  
**KILL**  
  
"The pilot's blacked out," Ayame reported in a level tone, although underneath she was concerned.  
"What?!" Seizon yelled.  
"All readings indicate that's he passed out."  
Seizon's eyes seemed to bulge out of his head. He looked as the daemon sent punch after punch into Eva 02's midriff. It was at this time Rayan exited one of the lifts and his eyes also seemed to bulge out of his head as he glanced upon Hideki's Eva.  
"What happened?!"  
"The pilot's passed out," Seizon stated.  
"And can you get him out of there?!" Rayan panicked.  
"No," Seizon sighed. Rayan fought back his anger.  
"What now?"  
"I don't know."  
"There is nothing that can be done," Commander Suzuki added, "If the pilot is unconscious, and a daemon is still up there, we cannot risk a retrieval crew." _Although the Daemon must _be stopped._  
  
Demogorgon laid into the Evangelion as hard as ever. Cracks appeared on the chest armor, and added to the arm and side damage already caused, Unit Two looked in a bad way. With a final, determined punch, the daemon dropped the Evangelion to the ground, where it lay as it landed. The daemon cast it a glance, before looking at the lift the Eva had entered via. Two grins revealed its intent. It bent down in front of the blast doors, and started to tear them apart.  
  
The groan of metal bending echoed through the room where the First Child sat. He looked fiercely around the cage were the Evangelion were normally held. Bakelite had been in this chamber, but now it was a hollow shell.  
With his legs dangling off the edge of an umbilical bridge, Yadama begun to whistle a tune; Saint-Saens' _Danse Macabre_.  
  
The two-headed daemon looked down the long shaft that would take it directly into the heart of REPC. It hunched over the gap in the ground, feral snarls forming on its lips. Twisted metal lay around it; the remains of the blast doors.  
The defeated Evangelions' eyes shone bright red momentarily before it dimmed down to its normal levels. It moved, rolling itself onto its back, before it pushed itself upright using both arms, the bloody stump soaking the ground with blood. From its mouth it yelled out something wolfish yet alien, before launching itself into a sprint at the teal creatures.  
One of Demogorgon's heads looked to the revived Evangelion. Soon its body turned, and it received the full force of Evangelion Unit 02 slamming into it. The Eva's jaws sliced into one of the daemon's neck and tore a mighty gash from it. Dark blood gushed out of the wound into the Evangelion's face, but it continued unperturbed. With another bite the first of the daemon's heads dropped off. The Evangelion pushed the daemon back even more until the Eva slamming into an invisible barrier. It punched at it, orange octagons rippling from the barrier. _

"An AT Field?" Keiji asked.  
"Of course," Reichou replied.  
  
As Eva 02 punched at the AT Field, Demogorgon regained some composure. It stood up, and snarled at the Evangelion that fumbled to get at it. A grin surfaced on its face.  
The berserking Eva grinned back as a fist punched into the AT Field, and then half-penetrated it. Ripples shuddered away from the Eva's fist as the AT Field collapsed.  
  
"I'm getting no signal from the pilot!" Ayame shouted.  
"What!" Seizon and Rayan yelled in unison.  
"Hideki's still unconscious."  
"Then how is the Evangelion moving?" questioned Rayan.  
"Nothing like this has happened before," Seizon added.  
"I don't know sir," Ayame answered, not realizing it was a rhetorical question.  
  
A clawed hand attempted to rip the Evangelion's head off. Another shout bellowed from the Evangelion's orifice as the Eva and Daemon stopped, barred by a grassy hill. The daemon flailed to get out of the Eva's grasp, but the Eva put its entire weight on it. The Evangelion's head shook as the Third Daemon begun to succeed in ripping it off its body. A sickly sound was heard as muscle and bone reformed. The Evangelion flexed its flesh colored right hand. With both hands free the Evangelion started to choke the one head that remained. A gurgle sputtered from Demogorgon, dark blood spitting on. The hum of the prog knife trapped in its throat became more apparent as the daemon's neck was constricted. The point of the blade pierced out of its neck, before the Eva's arms twisted. A subtle crack and the claw arm dropping signified Demogorgon's death.  
The Evangelion panted like a dog after a long run, but its energy wasn't spent yet. Without resistance, the Eva's fists slammed into the daemon's second head. Blood exploded from it, showering the Eva and the nearby buildings in more of the dark liquid. It reached down the daemon's neck, and removed the humming prog knife. Then with it, it slashed the daemon's chest open, revealing a blood red orb. Evangelion Unit Two drove the blade into the orb. Firstly cracks appeared, before the sphere shattered into pieces. Two jagged spikes of red speared through the Eva's shoulder, but if it noticed it didn't outwardly registered its presence.  
Then it returned the daemon's favor by repeatingly punching the daemon's open chest. Endless streams of blood shot out from it, drenching a large area with blood. Only after the daemon's body had the consistency of soft dough did the Evangelion relent its attack. Its chest rose and lowered as it heaved, drained of energy, blood dripping down from its body at several points. Finally it slumped forward, its red eyes fading into nothing.  
  
All attention had disappeared from work as all the people in Terminal Dogma looked at the scene of destruction that had been carved out by the Evangelion. Dr Yunokawa had finally joined them.  
"Well, that's something of a spectacle. Didn't really expect quite those results," he mused.  
"Is... Is Hideki okay?" Rayan stuttered.  
"Er, yes," Ayame replied, "He's alive, but..."  
"He is unconscious," Seizon said, reading the young technician's mind.  
"Then how did... what did just happen?" Rayan looked around in shock, "If that wasn't Third, then-"  
"The Evangelion," Dr Yunokawa said, and he nodded to himself, "There is much we don't know about them."  
  
"Dear God, is that the true power of the Evangelions?" Keiji asked.  
Reichou spared himself a grin. "Yes. Its seems all is well."


End file.
